Misfits (Jughead Jones)

Chapter 16

Blake found Jughead leaning against a wall outside school waiting for her. He gave her his signature smirk as she approached.

"What took you so long?" He questioned as they started walking.

"I was in the boy's locker room with Betty and Ronnie as Ronnie tried to get Chuck to take down a pic." Blake clarified.

"Well, okay. You ready to question some scouts?"

"You make it sound like this is some big mission." She laughed.

"It's the only thing interesting to ever happen to Riverdale." He reminded her as they approached the scouts building.

"And in that moment of hesitation, you're dead. All of you are dead." Dilton Doiley, head of the scouts, was telling his group. The scouts were lined up in front of the building with Doiley pacing in front of them.

"At ease, Doiley." Jughead called and the scout's head shot up towards the pair.

"We're writing an article for the Blue and Gold. Hoping you can help." Blake said as Jughead stood at her side and assessed the scouts.

"Dismissed! But stay close." Doiley told the scouts who scattered. One gave Blake a strange look.

"Cheryl and Archie both say they heard a gunshot the morning of July 4th, but they don't know who fired." Jughead clarified.

"Sherriff Keller already asked me about this. And like I told him, my Scouts and I, we didn't hear anything weird." Doiley's statement sounded rehearsed.

"Well, did you see anything weird?" Jughead queried taking a step closer to him.

"A white-winged crossbill. A long-eared owl. Oh. And Cheryl, sitting by the river, soaking wet." Doiley almost smirked.

Blake gave him a forced smile as she dragged Jughead off the field.

"Well, that was both no help and weird." Jughead muttered.

"I wouldn't exactly say no help." Blake chipped in.

"And why is that, Sherlock?" Jughead smirked.

"Because, Dr Watson, Dilton Doiley is lying. His statement was rehearsed and one of the scouts, who probably has a conscious, kept glancing at us." She smiled proudly.

"I think you should consider becoming a full-time detective." Jughead smiled, not his usual sarcastic smile, but his real one.

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Blake and Jughead were sat in their usual booth at Pop's that night when the scout who had been shooting them looks, walked in and sat down with his dad. He was still wearing his scouts uniform as he sat in a booth close to the door.

"Jughead." Blake whispered but got no reply from the engrossed writer. "Jughead." She tried again but to no avail. "Jughead." She said but this time she kicked him in the shin.

"Ouch!" He exclaimed, glaring at her. "What the hell was that for?"

"That's the scout who was giving us looks earlier." Blake nodded in the direction. Jughead turned slightly to catch a glimpse.

"Okay, we wait until he's on his own and then we go talk to him." Jughead told her.

When the scout's dad got up to pay Blake slid into the booth across from him and Jughead crouched on the seat next to her. He reached across and took the cherry off of the kid's sundae and ate it.

"What the hell, man?" The scout exclaimed as he held his hands up in surrender.

"I saw the way you looked at us." Blake told him.

"During Grizzly training." Jughead cut in as he grabbed the kid's whole sundae and started to eat it.

"You're hiding something." Blake finished.

"It's Scoutmaster Doily. He's lying." The scout said, not even protesting to the raven-haired boy crouching in the seat in front of him eating his sundae.

"About what?" Jughead asked.

"The gunshot. It was him. He was teaching us how to shoot targets." The scout clarified.

"Dilton Doiley shot the gun on July 4th?" Jughead stopped eating and looked at the scout with utter disbelief.

"He's a hardcore survivalist. He says if we don't protect ourselves, no one will." The scout clarified.

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It was late when Blake got back in and Fred was already upstairs asleep. It wasn't strange for her to come in late at night. Fred knew she spent most of her time either across the road with Betty or sat in the same booth at Pop's with Jughead. Jughead didn't like to go back to the drive in too earlier in the night because he knew he wouldn't sleep. So, most of the time Blake stayed late to keep him company. She wasn't overly pleased with his living arrangements but she knew he needed to be away from home right now.

She tiptoed upstairs; avoiding the cracks and creaks. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her dad. She was about to walk into her bedroom when she heard shuffling in Archie's. Curiosity got the better of her as she walked down the hall and pushed open his door. He was about to climb through the window so she lightly shut the door behind her.

"Going somewhere?" She smirked as he almost fell to the floor in shock. "Thought you were grounded."

"I am." He said as he picked up his guitar case. "Josie said I could go and watch her and the pussycats practice all week so..." He trailed off.

"You're sneaking out." Blake clarified. "Just don't fall off the roof."

Archie smiled. "Thanks, Bee."